


Wanna Be Your Man That's All

by donniedont



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aquariums, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22027834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donniedont/pseuds/donniedont
Summary: Dimitri is on a road trip with Dedue and thinks he's found the perfect time to propose to Dedue.  But when he finds out that Dedue also has plans to propose, he wonders if he should deviate from his plan.  A gift for the FE3H Rarepair Port Secret Santa on Discord!
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 12
Kudos: 54
Collections: Fire Emblem Three Houses Rarepair Port Secret Santa





	Wanna Be Your Man That's All

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NorthSong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthSong/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, Mute! I hope you enjoy your gift. It was a lot of fun writing this... I just hope it's fluffy enough! 
> 
> General disclaimer that I have set the fic in the continental United States to provide a structure for the road trip. This is by no means intended to be used as a cultural framework.

There’s a lull in the hotel room. Dimitri is getting dressed for the evening as Dedue washes his face in the bathroom. Music is playing lowly from Dimitri’s phone. The only thing keeping it from being a snapshot of domesticity is the stark white stucco walls covered with generic photos of local landmarks from the latest stop on their roadtrip. 

“What was the weather like when you went outside?” Dimitri asks. He checks his phone for any messages as he adjusts the collar of his shirt.

“A bit chilly,” Dedue replies, his voice echoing the slightest bit. “I would wear another layer to be safe.”

“Sounds good,” Dimitri says. He scans the bed, frowning when he can’t locate his sweatshirt. He goes through his own luggage, groaning when he realizes that it’s very likely that he left it in the car. “Could I borrow your sweatshirt?” he asks.

Dedue sighs. He places something on the counter, the sound a bit louder than it should be. “You may. Just please don’t mess up my bag.”

“Got it,” Dimitri says before he walks toward the luggage rack at the foot of the bed. He opens up Dedue’s duffle bag, spotting the sweatshirt easily enough. It’s a deep green with yellow flowers and cats embroidered on it. Annette found it at a thrift store last year and was so enthralled by it, she bought it instantly. It’s been in constant rotation ever since.

Dimitri tugs at the sweatshirt, observing that one of the sleeves appears to be hooked on something. He huffs and yanks on the apparel, the fabric whipping out of the bag along with a box that dropped to the floor. He bends down and grabs the box, studying it in his hands.

It’s a small, black box with a hinge. There’s the logo of some jeweler from back home stamped across it in silver, embossed ink. When he slowly opens up the box he catches a glimpse of a silver ring and he immediately slams it shut. He tosses it back into the bag for good measure.

He doesn’t realize the extent of the commotion he’s caused until he turns around and see Dedue poking his head out of the bathroom. 

“Is everything all right?” Dedue asks.

Dimitri raises the sweatshirt over his head. “I, uh, hit myself in the face with this. That’s all,” he stammers.

Dedue closes his eyes for a long moment, taking a deep breath before he says, “Be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt halfway through our road trip.” 

“Yeah, of course,” Dimitri replies. He stares at the bag, his heart pounding. He forces himself to blink and pulls himself away from it enough to grab his phone and send a panicked text message to Mercedes saying that he needed to talk to her when he got back from dinner.

*

Dimitri tries to fit himself comfortably in the passenger's seat of Dedue’s car while still able to hold his phone and get a good visual on Mercedes.

“Is this actually a bad thing, Dimitri?” Mercedes asks. Her face is slightly blurry, but serene. It looks like she’s standing on her porch, most likely to give them some privacy.

“I’m not sure,” Dimitri confesses. He huffs and attempts to readjust himself again. He ate so much at dinner that he is full, a strange sensation that he only began to experience when his sense of taste started coming back a few months ago. 

“Well, you discussed marriage, yes?” Mercedes asks.

Dimitri nods. He knew he wanted to marry Dedue early on in their romantic relationship, but he tried his best to wait until Dedue suggested anything to truly consider it. He remembers exactly when Dedue quietly suggested it. They were peeling clementines and nibbling on them in bed on a lazy Sunday morning. They were talking about the mixer Dedue recently replaced. It took everything inside Dimitri to not look up rings the second Dedue said, “I suppose we can just ask for a standing mixer when we get married” before he popped another clementine segment in his mouth.

“Multiple times,” Dimitri finally says.

Mercedes nods. “So you both want to propose sometime on this trip. That’s a beautiful thing, Dimitri.”

Dimitri bringing his hand to his face, pressing against his forehead. “But I want to be the one to do it,” he says, “He deserves to be taken care of for once.”

Mercedes runs her fingers through her hair and sighs.

“What?” he asks.

“You’re getting caught up in the negatives. Remember the plan you made. See it through. Even if he proposes, just remember that your proposal is a testament to your love for him. His is to his love for you. They both have weight, just different.” She smiles gently at him, still playing with her hair. 

Dimitri leans back, juggling the phone carefully. He knows she’s right, but it’s hard to accept that when this is a deviation in the plan he put so much effort into. Why did he have to find someone who was frustratingly perfect? 

He pushes his hair back, sighing. He knows this is all hyperbolic. Dedue is human and has his own flaws. But it doesn’t seem like these flaws ever extend into their relationship. It’s not like he’s the one that forgets to eat and then becomes irritable or has a memory ran ragged from trauma that he’s forgotten important anniversaries more than once. Even so, it’s always been Dedue there to pick up the pieces, even if Dimitri is unfairly lashing out.

“You should also probably stop camping out in Dedue’s car and make your way back to the hotel room. Worrying him is not the solution to this and you know it,” Mercedes scolds.

Dimitri stares up at the moonroof and sighs. He can feels his eyes burn and he rubs at them frantically. He eventually looks at Mercedes, whose concern could still be read through the haze of the video connection. He mumbles, “You’re right. Thank you, Mercedes. Goodnight,” before he hangs up, not even taking the time to listen to her respond.

*

The road trip is divided among Dimitri and Dedue’s individual interests. There are historical tours and museums for Dimitri with botanical gardens and niche craft stores breaking up the day for Dedue. They drive at a leisurely pace, Dimitri always checking in on Dedue to prevent him from overexerting himself. It’s the least he can do when he can’t drive himself. 

The two of them make a variety of playlists for the trip, each one fulfilling a different mood. In this moment they are driving toward Chicago, the windows too warm to lean against even with the air conditioning on. They are listening to playlist that Dedue built around songs that have the title sun in it. “Blister In the Sun” by Violent Femmes is playing as Dimitri pulls his backpack out from under his feet. He sticks his hand in the front pocket and thumbs the velvet bag, confirming the ring is still in there before he zips the bag closed and sits up straight.

“Is everything all right?” Dedue asks. “You’ve been a bit… jumpy lately.”

Dimitri turns to face him, taking a deep breath. He always holds out that he can hide when he feels like this, but it seems like it never really gets past Dedue. If he’s being honest, he can’t really recall a time that it did. “Oh. I mean, I… I’m fine.”

Dedue hums apprehensively to the song for the entirety of the chorus before he says, “I meant it when I said that we can always cut this trip short. We are supposed to enjoy ourselves. If you need to get back to our routines earlier than planned, it’s okay…”

Dimitri wishes he could be mad at Dedue for making these assumptions. He knows that it’s next to impossible to do so. The trip has thrown Dimitri off his usual schedule and keeping him a few weeks away from his in-person therapy appointments. His ego has never been large enough for him to deny that he can be unbearable under these conditions.

“I can do this,” Dimitri says. His voice sounds a bit too grave to even convince himself, but he has a mission he has to see through. 

“And you will tell me if you can’t?” Dedue asks.

“Of course,” Dimitri replies. He tries to bounce along to the song, but ends before he can really find the rhythm.

*

When they reach their hotel in Chicago they look up the weather report and confirm that they have arrived during the last day of a heat wave. They move their trip to the Shedd Aquarium up, neither of them wanting to spend the day in the heat after making similar compromises during the first half of their trip. 

They bring their luggage inside and Dimitri places his backpack low to the ground as Dedue checks the drawers and bathroom. Dimitri quickly transfers the ring bag into his pocket, gulping. 

His plan has always been to propose at the aquarium. It feels like a decent compromise between their two interests with the setting being dark enough that they can be secretive if they want to be. He even has an exhibit selected. It’s a special one that’s focused on the ways that sea creatures use color. He isn’t sure if he’ll kneel down, but he likes to visualize himself bringing Dedue to the main tank in the exhibit, saying a carefully formed speech, taking Dedue’s hand, and carefully placing the ring on his finger before Dedue hopefully says yes.

They drive to the aquarium, Dimitri trying to keep himself distracted by the sights of a new city. Neither of them are speaking much, but Dimitri knows better than to panic over this. Dimitri used to fill the silences with inane rambling, but he understands that between the two he is a tightly wound chatterbox that never thinks anything through and Dedue is always thinking, but uses his words with careful intent. 

They’re meant to be. At least, that’s what he wants to believe. He knows that most of the people in his life find that he is a bit naive when it comes to love, but Dedue genuinely makes him happy and he can’t imagine his life without him. He doesn’t want to ever face a reality without him. 

They get their tickets for the aquarium and Dimitri scopes out the exhibit he plans on proposing toward the entrance. He bares his teeth at it, realizing that he probably should have looked at a map ahead of time. Dedue asks to go in it and Dimitri laughs nervously, saying that they should save it for the end. They hold hands as they walk through the rest of of the exhibits and for the briefest moment Dimitri forgets that he has a ring in his pocket and a question on his lips. Instead, he pulls Dedue to various tanks, the two of them trying to spot the fish that are on display. They attempt to be mindful of children zipping past, though they can’t help but bring themselves as close to the glass as possible to get a better look. Dedue is relatively content following along with Dimitri’s path, though he is insistent that they stop by the level that the mammals are on display. Dedue isn’t one to grin, but he looks pretty close as he’s watching the sea otters tossle with each other, making indignant squeaking noises. Dimitri’s focus is entirely on Dedue, his stomach flipping when Dedue turns toward him and makes a snide remark about how they sound like some of their friends quarreling. Dimitri giggles and realizes that this is what he wants for the rest of his life. He wants to make Dedue happy every single day and take in the sight. 

Dimitri gulps and decides his plan can be changed, especially if it can give him the same result. “Dedue,” he says, his hand already slipping into his pocket. 

Dedue turns toward him, his eyebrows furrowed. “What is it, Dima?” he asks.

Dimitri smiles bashfully. Dedue isn’t one for terms of endearment or nicknames, but its limited use makes him even fonder of the moments he does. “I love you so much,” Dimitri says. He tries to pull the velvet bag open and poke his fingers into it, grabbing the ring and placing it between his fingers.

Dedue starts to form the words to respond, but he resists. He continues to watch Dimitri with an unreadable stare.

“I…” Dimitri starts and he tries to bend down, but they’re pressed a little too close against the glass as a steady stream of families walk past. Dimitri wants to reconsider, but he knows that he will continue to see the flaws in every opportunity. “Dedue, you are the thing I cherish most in this life,” he says, hurtling away from the potential talking points he had planned, “You have seen me at my worst and have supported me on the path to my best and all I truly want from this life… is to continue that journey with you by my side forever…”

Dedue rests his hand against his temple and sighs. “Oh, Dimitri…” he starts.

Dimitri pulls away, a surge of panic racing through him. “What? What’s wrong?” He thinks about the ring box in Dedue’s duffle bag and wonders if he has done something on the trip that has made Dedue reconsider. His mind races through any instance of tension they’ve had on the trip and he wonders if he forgot one too many napkins or if Dedue is more hurt over the time Dimitri fell asleep mid-conversation than he realized.

Dedue shakes his head. “Nothing is wrong,” he says. He puts his hand in the crossbody bag that rests against his chest and unzips it. “I promise,” he adds as he takes out the black jewelry box. He opens up the box and it’s enough for people around them to notice. Dimitri wills himself to look down at the silver band that’s nestled in velvet. 

Dimitri laughs, yanking his own ring out of his pocket before he exclaims, “Dedue Molinaro, will you marry me?” 

Dedue smiles and for the briefest moment and Dimitri continues to laugh, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Dedue shuts his eyes for a moment, a glassiness overtaking them when he opens them. In a deep, tentative voice he says, “Only if it’s to you, Dimitri Blaiddyd.” 

They stand there for an agonizingly long time before Dimitri loosens Dedue’s left hand and slips his ring on it. Dedue takes his ring out of the box and places it on Dimitri’s left hand. They lean in to each other for a kiss and Dimitri doesn’t care if he’s hundreds of miles away from where he lives, that sea otters are wrestling nearby, or that people are beginning to applaud, he truly feels like he is home.

*

Dimitri can’t stop looking at his and Dedue’s hands. He wants to focus on the exhibit they’re currently in, which is the colorful one that he planned on proposing to Dedue initially. There are tanks full of brightly colored fish that are truly beautiful, but whenever he tries to point at something, he pauses, unable to keep his eye away from the thin silver band that rests comfortably on his finger. They find a bench just outside of the exhibit and sit down, Dedue insisting on a snack break. He pulls two granola bars from his bag, passing one to Dimitri before opening up his own.

“This is where I wanted to propose to you,” Dimitri explains, gesturing at the nearby signage.

“It would have been lovely, I’m sure,” Dedue replies. He takes a pensive bite of his granola bar, swallowing before he asks, “What made you change your mind?”

“You looked so happy watching the sea otters,” Dimitri says, “It felt right.”

Dedue nods. “I was planning on doing it outside, where that observation area is facing the lake.”

Dimitri leans back, ripping open his granola bar and nearly shoving the entirety of it in his mouth. “That would have made more sense, wouldn’t it?” he asks before he bites it.

Dedue shakes his head, finishing up his granola bar and placing the wrapper in his bag. “Not necessarily. I have no issue with the route we ended up taking. It’s not a bad thing that the two of us were on the same page with something like this.”

Dimitri wants to agree, but there’s a deep pang of guilt running through him. “My love, can I be honest with you?” He considers just calling Dedue his fiance, but he resists, if only because it doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily. “I saw your ring in your bag when I went to grab a sweatshirt a few nights ago. I got so upset, because I wanted to take the lead… to take care of you for once.”

Dedue kisses Dimitri gently on the lips before he rests his forehead against Dimitri’s. “If I never felt like I was being taken care of in this relationship, I would have left long ago. We take care of each other in the ways we can. We will continue to do so for years to come.”

Dimitri places his granola bar in his lap and grabs Dedue’s hands, lacing his fingers with his. He finds himself having to be mindful of the rings around both their fingers and he can’t deny that he loves the way his heart flutters when it happens. “We will,” he says. It’s a permanence that has an unfamiliar ease attached to it. He hopes it never fades away. 

“We will,” Dimitri repeats before he kisses Dedue another time for good measure.


End file.
